SATURDAY 21ST NOVEMBER 09 @ FIREFLY
18 OLD BAILEY, LONDON EC4M 7EP

DJ line-up, 4! Mix CD’s and more info after the jump

funky house

DJs IN ROOM 1 (SEXY ELECTRO / MINIMAL / SOULFUL HOUSE)

TEASER (SE7EN)

KISMET (CIRCLE)

FEVA (CIRCLE)

FLEX (DEEPER SOUNDS)

KNOWLEDGE (IWFU)

TEAM CASA (HOUSEMANIAC)

MAJORSWITCH (HOUSEMANIAC)

——————————————————————————–

DJs IN ROOM 2 (RnB / BASHMENT / RARE GROOVES & CLUB CLASSICS)

SUFFERER SOUND

DJ SEDUCTION

DJ COOLIE

DJ KELZ

DJ KALLAI + MANY MORE!!

HOSTs: TIPPA // MR MAESTRO // ALLSTARR

DEZY ‘ENERGY’ B LIVE ON THE BONGOs ALL NIGHT LONG!!!

——————————————————————————–

PHOTOGRAPHY BY J WATSON

LADIES 100% FREE ON GUESTLIST B4 12AM MORE THEREAFTER!
GENTS £10 B4 12 MORE THEREAFTER!

OVER 23s POSITVE ID WILL BE REQUIRED!

DRESSCODE: SMART, SEXY AND EXTREMELY SOPHISTICATED.
NO HATS, HOODS & NO TRAINERS.
GUCCIs & PRADAs OK!

TIME: 10PM – 4AM

PLUS AN AFTERPARTY @ RADUNOs IN FARRINGDON. 4am TILL U DROP!

DOORS CLOSE 2AM SHARP! SO PLEASE DO ARRIVE EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT @ THE DOOR!

FOR ALL INFO, GUEST LIST, TABLE & PARTY BOOKINGS CONTACT- 07506316789 / 07983854400 OR EMAIL MRMANPR@HOTMAIL.COM

HOUSEMANIA CDs:

TEASER DEEJAY:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9a87um

DJ KNOWLEDGE:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/3v7ua1

DJ MAJORSWITCH:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/a3ggnb

DJ MAJORSWITCH (Old Skl G Set):
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jyzhaa

DOWNLOAD UR COPY OF THE OFFICIAL AFTERPARTY CD BY DJ MAJORSWITCH!!

http://www.sendspace.com/file/2nmqek

Si a alguien le gusta la física, le sonará el nombre de Richard Feynman. Premio nobel en el 65 por sus trabajos en la electrodinámica quántica.

Pero lo mejor de este personaje es su vida aparte de la física. Durante su estancia en Rio de Janeiro como profesor invitado, estuvo clandestinamente colaborando con un grupo de samba de la ciudad para prepararse para el carnaval.

También famoso por ser infalible ante cualquier caja fuerte, este físico es muy recomendable para quien quiera leer a alguien que vivió la vida con pasión, ilusión y sobretodo diversión.

No os perdais una de sus memorias: ¿Está ud. de broma sr.Feynman?

Aquí teneis una muestra de sus habilidades como percusionista:

Bassist Kris Haase will be LIVE in concert

with The Rick Weeds Band:

Sat., Nov. 14, 2009

Weed's

1555 N. Dayton 

Chicago, IL

 9:30pm - 10:45pm

The Hudson Crossing to follow @ 11pm

Thurs., Nov. 19, 2009

Elbo Room 

2871 N. Lincoln Ave.

Chicago, IL

11:00pm - 12:00am

Tues., Nov. 24, 2009

Weed's

1555 N. Dayton 

Chicago, IL

First CD Release Party!

Fri., Dec. 4, 2009

Cary's Lounge

2251  W.  Devon

Chicago, IL 

Second CD Release Party!

It occurred to me today, that I am the President of the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

How did this happen, I wondered.  Was I elected?  Did the people choose me to lead?

Nothing so esoteric or eclectic.  This morning, over Corn Flakes and Lattes,  the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy said to me: “Someone needs to Take the Heat, while we plan our  Nefarious Ends”.

“I’ll take the case!”, I announced.

The rest, of course, is history.

Here’s another series of adverts that a generation of Brits has forever filed away in the section of their brain labelled ”Once seen, never forgotten”.

Yes, it’s the insanely catchy, you’ll-never-get-it-out-of-your-head (in a good way) Trio advert, featuring the bombastic cartoon singer, Susie (“Too loud…”)

Trio, for the uninitiated, was a biscuit (or cookie, if you are American) sold in the UK from, I think, the early 80s until a few years ago when they were discontinued by makers Jacob’s.

As the name suggests, they were made up of three distinct parts: a shortcake-y biscuit base, three dollops of a caramel-flavoured topping (in the advert, it looks quite runny and chewy but, in fact, it had more of a soft fudge consistency), all covered in milk chocolate, with the bar divided into three blocks.

The adverts were inspired by a 1957 novelty record by satirical comedian Stan Freberg (left) called Banana Boat (Day-O), which itself was a parody of Day-O (The Banana Boat Song), a traditional Jamaican calypso work song  popularised by Harry Belafonte’s 1956 recording.

Like the Trio TV advert, Freburg’s version of the song features a laid-back, beatnick bongo player complaining that the singing is too loud.

So, let’s start with the original Trio TV advert. You might recognise the distinctive tones of the late, great British DJ John Peel delivering the advert’s sign-off at the end:

Next, here are a few follow-up adverts, also featuring Susie and the bongo player:

James Bond-style:

Okay, that’s all the Trio adverts I could find. Here is Stan Freberg’s Banana Boat (Day-O) song for comparison. Rather than just embed an audio-only version of it, I found this excellent amateur puppetry/lip sync video for the song, made by Paul Maxted, Karen Elvin and Colin Soper.

And last, but not least, here is Harry Belafonte performing his version on TV with a little “help” from The Muppets:

Today, I was on the 11:30 course at Alpine Adventures in Lincoln. We kitted up, took the shuttle to the beginning of the trail and clambered into an old 6-wheel drive army vehicle to take us up to the zip wires. The off-road ride was great fun, rocking about and going over rocks. Everyone was sliding about like crazy.

There were 5 zip lines to do in total. The first was the smallest – still a big drop none the less.  The second Zip is the biggest on the East Coast, 1200ft long and 200ft above the ground. This was my favorite line, as it had astonishing views of the surrounding mountains. After walking over a few swinging rope bridges, I took the third dual racing zip. The fourth zip was a Jamaican themed line with complementary bongos! The final zip boasted an 80 foot drop with between 40-50mph speeds; of course I did it the daredevil way and jumped off backwards!! It was an amazing adventure and a beautiful day, topped off by having a great group and guides to go with.  We laughed, cheered and joked our way through the course.

“Follow Your Heart!” she said.                

We had just gotten back from our honeymoon in Italy when, out the blue, Glenda, my new bride says:

“So now that we’re married what do you want to do for the rest of your life?”

“What do you mean?”   I asked.  ”You know that I’m waiting for the flying club to find me a job as a commercial pilot!”  I was somewhat taken aback by her question.

 ”No, no really.  What do you want to do most; flying or singing?”

I heard myself saying:  “Singing.”  And I couldn’t take it back.

 ”Then follow your heart!”  

“Easy for you to say. I have a broken guitar, a mike without a cord, no agents and you want me to get into show business?” 

I couldn’t understand what had prompted this conversation but, then, she delivered what was to become a gold nugget of wisdom.

“Do the first thing that is in alignment with what you want to do.” She added.

 ”Well…in that case I’ll go and have an espresso at Andy’s  and see what happens.”   I gave her a kiss and off the door I went. 

Andy’s was a bohemian Hungarian restaurant on Robson Street, near downtown Vancouver where I’d go to have a coffee and jam with Andy and other musicians. I hadn’t been there in a couple of years.  That was the only place I knew of where I could meet some musicians.

 As I walk in the door I see Andy playing guitar and Bongo Mike -we used to call him – jamming away.  

“Gino, where have you been?” says Andy.

We chat for a bit and then Mike says:

“Are you interested in a summer gig?”

I ask him where and he tells me that he had heard from a friend of a friend of a friend that…maybe…sort-of…there might be a gig for the summer…in Anchorage, Alaska!

“Well” -I said.  “Let’s go get it!”   I smelled an opportunity and I wasn’t going to let it go till I could find out more about it.                                        

So the next day Bongo Mike, his bongos and me are off to Alaska to get in show business!

We didn’t even check whether this thing was real. I didn’t even have a guitar, for crying out loud!!  My only musical instrument was a microphone…without cable!!   Oh, yes; a few guitar picks.  Boy…I almost forgot those!

Yes sirree…Mike and I, bongos, picks and all are off to Alaska to get into show biz!   The power of ludicrous innocence.  

So by 9PM Mike and I have found our way to this Lady Belle saloon on Spenard Road, the Anchorage “STRIP” - looking to audition for this kind of maybe…sort of…perhaps…show business gig.

Now. Lady Belle is this  50iish  red head,  kind of lady-of-the-Wild-West type.  You know: see through blouse, red lipstick and - well, gorgeous bongos! What can I say?

“We’re here to audition.” 

“Oh, Great!”  And she grabs this guitar off the wall that hadn’t been played since the days of the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897.

 ”Play it!”  she says; handing it to me.  “Sing La Bamba!”

I attempt to tune this relic while I’m keeping an eye on Mike who’s keeping an eye on Lady Belle who’s keeping an eye on me while leisurely  leaning forward over the counter!  Tough audition.

 I begin…Ba-ba-bamba. Ba-ba-bamba. Para bailar la bamba… and the E string goes completely flat!

 I look at Mike.  He is oblivious to the change of pitch and, God bless him – you know – he was occupied with another kind of pitch.  The same one that had me struggle at the beginning.    A view to a kill! I told you it was a tough audition! 

Para bailar la bamba -I start singing- Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia… 

 She screams!   I look at Mike.  What did he do??

“Wait…wait!  - she says.

And she goes to the phone on the wall behind the bar and she dials.  I take advantage of the pause and attempt to retune the guitar; this  uncooperative piece of gold rush garbage.  And I hear her saying into the phone:

“Roy, Roy, you gotta listen to this!”  and she shoves the mike – I mean the phone out toward me.

“Sing…sing.  Sing La Bamba!” – she says. The dominatrix that she was!

Para bailar la Bamba.  Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia.   I’m getting in the groove now  –   Una poca de gracia se necesita y arriba y arriba…

And at the third arriba the G string breaks!   And you know…when your G  string breaks…it’s over!           

But by two AM Lady Belle had organized a real audition for me at this nightclub downtown with Roy, the buyer.

So I’m ready to do the show and I see Lady Belle and Mike sitting together, very close and I’m thinking: “Well, what do you    know?  Mike’s a hit in Anchorage already!”

But I was concerned with Mike wanting to play the bongos, so I go over and say:

“Mike, please, don’t touch the bongos.”

Now I don’t know how Lady Belle interpreted that but she turns to Mike:  “No, honey, don’t you listen to him.  Let your fingers do the walkin’.” 

I thought Mike was gonna faint right there and then.                              

“Do you have a trio?”  says Roy after the audition.

 ”Yes, I do.”  I reply without thinking.  I didn’t have a trio!  But I guess I have one now.

“You start in six weeks.”

The following morning I am signing a contract for the whole summer: five months, with work permit, full room and board and a car.  When Mike resurfaced by mid-afternoon he was jubilant.

“So how did your concert go?”  I teased him.

“What do you mean?”  He asks.

 ”Weren’t you playing bongos for a private party last night?”

He had a grin for the whole summer!                                                        

So I call my wife in Vancouver.  I tell her the news and the money we’re going to be making and she says:  “Before or after taxes?” 

“Who cares about taxes.” I say. “We’re moving to Anchorage in six weeks!

I’m in show business!”

I once read that the good thing about being young is that you are not experienced enough to know you cannot possibly do the things you are doing.  Isn’t that the truth?

Live a better life.  Follow Your Heart!

For Gino Federici’s music and books visit www.GinoFederici.com

Intergalactic drum circle.

This past weekend was the Colorado Irish Festival.  On Friday night CodeMonkey and I headed across town for a night of music under the stars.  I was super psyched because Gaelic Storm was headlining.  They’re one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen and it had been entirely too long since I’d seen them last. 

We arrived early to look around at the booths.  CodeMonkey got a new tipper for his bodhran then we found a spot on the grass, and settled down to enjoy the opening band (Brother), the summer evening, and the random guy trance dancing next to the stage.

Aussies in leather kilts rockin' out with a didgeridoo and bagpipes - what's not to like? Plus I'm pretty sure the cords on the lead singer's bagpipes were hand knit.

Between bands I knit and chatted with the people sitting next to us.  They were quite impressed with my knitting ability (“Wow, you must be sober!”) and my general knowledge of Celtic culture.

My Drunk Buddy: So, in Ireland would those colors on that kilt mean something?

Me: Um, in Scotland they would.  Tartan’s Scottish.  It indicates which clan you belong to.

Buddy: Wooowww . . . ok, so where is it traditional for men to wear a kilt?

Me: Um, Scotland again.  It’s not actually traditional for women to wear a kilt.  That woman over there is just wearing one for the fun of it.

Buddy: Huh . . . and is it true that they . . . (much guffawing) . . . you know . . . (more snickering) . . . go commando?

Me: Um, yeah, it’s called “regimental.”

They were pretty funny.

Yup, Poison Dart Frog Socks still. Note the fan-girl t-shirt. Yes, I am that big a dork.

As the setup and sound check progressed on stage, the weather also progressed.  Within about half an hour the absolutely beautiful evening had been replaced by ominous clouds.  Just in time for Gaelic Storm to take the stage, the thunder started rumbling.

And then Patrick Murphy thought it would be a good idea to mock God.  He made some witty quip about God being their special effects man and at pretty much that exact moment the heavens opened and the flood commenced.  It was possibly the worst storm that I have ever been out in and I’ve lived through four hurricane seasons in Florida.  It was raining so hard I could hardly see, we were all soaked to the bone within minutes, and it was lightning and thundering like crazy.  The band was under cover so they gamely played for about a song and a half before the wind got so strong that it blew enough rain on stage to short out all of the sound equipment.  The band went running for cover and the audience decided that standing in a field was probably not the smartest place to be right then.  CodeMonkey and I made a dash for the bathroom  – the only building nearby - and took shelter under the roof overhang.  It seemed slightly safer than the tents (i.e. giant lightning rods) which were our only other option.  We passed the time by wringing out our clothes until the rain let up enough for us to get to our car.

It's hard to tell from this picture, but we truly could not have been more wet if we had showered fully clothed.

Luckily Gaelic Storm was scheduled for one more show on Saturday.  CodeMonkey and I headed back across town, this time with NurseK in tow.  Patrick Murphy was properly contrite this time (he had clearly learned not to mock God, at least where Colorado weather is concerned).  He also threatened to name a song after the experience on their next album – something like “Deluge in Denver” or “The night I drowned at 87,000 feet” or “The night we pissed off God and he smote us.”  The weather held this time and the show was outstanding as always.  We sang, we danced, we did some mad jazz hands during “Me and the Moon.”  A great time was had by all.

What other band can rock out on not only guitar and drums, but also fiddle, tin whistle, accordion, bagpipes, bongos, bodhran, uilleann pipes, and spoons?

After Gaelic Storm finished, Leahy closed out the night.  It was a nice low-key way to end the evening.  We lay on the grass and enjoyed the music until it was time to go home.

They're like the Osmonds, but Canadian and way cooler!

*Disasters: The trailer of a movie with many. Also, a shit-ton of bongos. [@bozofish]

*Whoa: Spezify – Type a word, then see it, hear it, know it. [blackrimglasses]

*Computers: Fake Steve Jobs is back, and he’s talking about the Google OS. San Dimas High School Football rules. As you know.

*Bests: The best thing I’ve linked to over the past week or so. The Eternal Moonwalk.

*Weiners: Oscar Mayer died. He lived a long life and many people enjoyed his weiners. Which is to say hot dogs. Ugh.

*Drink: Production of Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass” beer begins today. Guaranteed to taste like sweat. And motor oil. And maybe hep C.

*Literature: Things I Have Written in Cover Letters. Not me. The author. I’m not looking for a job. (Call me!) [coudal]

*Meta: Tests use virtual reality to examine questions of race and bias. This is serious stuff, so let’s all stay serious for a second here. [murketing]

*Music: Buzzfeed identifies Crabcore, a genre of music “characterized by the guitar player’s “crabwalk,” an extremely low stance, wherein both feet are set apart from one another as far as possible in a very deep squat.”

*Ahem: I’m keeping up the Twitter linking, but also doing an occasional link round-up. I think.

Those who write on bathroom walls have run out of paper.

Those who read those words of wit, lack funds for books.

PurpleBozo understands your pain.

someone has moved onto my block who plays the bongos. and i am about to tear my hair out.

I play guitar, I play the spoons, I used to be able to make a sound with my hands to call on the loons. I beat the bongos, make a harp sound and rock  every campfire that I get the chance to be around.  I like music, and music likes me.

Terrible how I think immediately I’m expecting bongo’s just because I see the term Afro-beat! One must stop being so stereotypical.

But there are! So it doesn’t matter and fortunately, I love bongo’s and who the hell doesn’t?

Manilla Instrumental isn’t the thrilling sound of boxing gloves coming into contact with somebody’s face. It is in fact a cool as chillout tribal sound which is something N.Y. DJ Danny Tenaglia would care to listen to and/or even play.

Live Tech Rebelz have a minimalistic, trancey sound which doesn’t progress you off into reaching for the lasers. Their sound is mature, sexy and struts it’s way across the dancefloor like a gazelle in high heels with that little cheeky shake of the ass.

I have to say, I do like this. Glastonbury I look forward to it even further more.

http://www.myspace.com/livetechrebelz

My bongo trading idea is going well. See what I’ve been offered over at somethingbiggerorbetter.com

In other news, Anthony and I have been thinking of buying a house. It’s a complicated scenario for us since I can’t count any income from the business until we’ve been open for 2 years. So we’re checking out owner financed stuff. Maybe we’ll get lucky. We’d like to buy this year because that $8,000 from the government isn’t a tax credit- it’s a check. A freaking check. So I’m hoping to take advantage of it while I can! One of my customers is a Realtor who specializes in first time buyers, so that’s fortunate for us. If you’re in the market in Austin, check him out: www.cedarparkfamilyhomes

This evening I put up several websites:

austinbusinesswoman.com
drsnus.com
somethingbiggerorbetter.com

and now I am going to bed. Check them out and if you have something you want to trade me for my bongos, let me know. =)

My dad is a natural musician. As such, I was raised with music. I can’t think of a time when there weren’t 6- and 12-string acoustic guitars lying around my house. Hand drums, too. Djembes, bongos, congas. [Currently, he's making a conga. I'll have to tell you all about that another time.] When I was a puppy, I used to chew on the old conga heads when he replaced them with new ones. Mmm….soggy rawhide. We have a plant stand in my house that is actually a conga. It was an extra one he had, whatever that means…

I love hearing him play the guitar and sing. I grew up on it. It soothes me. If I’m outside and I hear a single strum, I run to the door to come in. If I’m already lying around the house and he picks up his ax, I pan an ear in his direction. I love it. He knows it. I think he plays for mom
and me, not just for my mom. But she loves it too, and she goes to all his gigs. Flo (who is ambivalent about the guitar and who HATES the drums) and I even got to go on a recent gig of his. [It was at a Horse Ranch in Madison, GA and I'll have to tell you all about that another time.]

Five minutes ago, he sang After the Gold Rush by Neil Young on his 12-string.

I was right there at his feet and it was beautiful. And while he was singing, it was as if he knew and I knew that this is part of our deep connection.

I had to come and write my blog and tell you all about it. This one wouldn’t wait.

Dad’s Number Two Fan (Mom is #1),

Blue

PS If you’d like to hear some of his original music, go to http://www.garageband.com/artist/dannymadison

I’ve been taking a class in African Instruments, which without a doubt has been a fun and enjoyable class. But last Friday, I participated in an impromptu real world drum session. In many respects, it was an unremarkable day: I didn’t manage to get up until after 1 in the afternoon, proceeded to make a cup of noodles, read some of Diary of a Bad Year–and soon found myself playing bongos with Sebede, a musician from Zimbabwe, some of his friends (from Zim and SA), a former drummer from New Zealand and some of my other American friends. The jam session went on and off for around 6 hours, including some light drinking and political discussion (his friend Ignatious, whom I talked to for a while when I wasn’t playing, was very interested in American politics, and I was eager to learn more about Zim). While I wouldn’t classify myself as overly gifted at the djembe or bongos, I will say that there is just a really good, transcendent feeling you get when you find a good beat and it flows with the sounds reverberating from other drums. It produces that smile on your face, and on everyone else’s face, when the rhythm works just right, and all the drums are working together to produce one harmonious sound. Not something that easily translates into words.

Afterwords, my hands were a bit sore, I ate a pizza, talked, read and went to bed. A low key start and a low key end–but the middle will stand out as one of the more fulfilling days I’ve had in recent times.